Utility box



March 8, 1955 5 MELLQ 2,703,667

UTILITY BOX Filed Dec. 14, 1950 INVENTOR G1. ORIA J. Os/Vsuo AT TOR NEYUnited States Patent UTILITY BOX Gloria J. De Mello, San Leandro, Calif.Application December 14, 1950, Serial No. 200,757

1 Claim. (Cl. 223-107) The invention relates to an ornamental utilitybox for disposal on a bureau or similar article of furniture.

An object of the invention is to provide a utility box of the characterdescribed which is particularly adapted to contain or mount sewing orjewelry or cosmetic or other articles of personal use.

Another object is to provide a utility box which is fabricated entirelyof non-metallic elements.

A further object is the provision of a utility box providing pin-cushionfacilities for the mounting and display of pins, or pin-carried,articles thereon.

Yet another object is to provide a box of the character described whichis arranged to be fabricated entirely by sewing its elements together.

The invention possesses other objects and features of advantage, some ofwhich, with the foregoing, will be set forth or be apparent in thefollowing description of a typical embodiment thereof and in theaccompanying drawings, in which,

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a utility box embodying the featuresof my invention.

Figure 2 is a sectional elevation taken at the line 2-2 in Figure 1, alid element of the box being shown in raised position.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary plan section taken at the line 33 in Figure 2.

Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmentary section taken at the zone 4 inFigure 2.

Figure 5 is an enlarged fragmentary section showing in a somewhatdiagrammatic manner the element connections provided at the zone 5 inFigure 2, the connected elements being mutually separated.

Figure 6 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken at the zone 6in Figure 2.

Figure 7 is a somewhat diagrammatic section taken at the zone of Figure6 when the box lid is fully lowered.

Figures 8 and 9 are enlarged fragmentary sections taken at the lines 8-8and 99 respectively in Figure 2.

Figure 10 is a fragmentary section taken at the line 10-10 in Figure 3.

As particularly shown, a utility box or container unit 11 has beenprovided in the general design of a sofa having a bottom box structure12 which provides a receptacle space 12. The present bottom structure 12is fabricated of a flat base element 30, a front panel element 40, arear panel element 50 and end panel elements 60, said elements beingattached at their mutually coterminous edges. In the present structure,the front and rear and end panels of the bottom structure 12 slopeinwardly from the corresponding edges of the base element 30 whereby thetop opening of the space 12' is smaller than the receptacle bottom. Alift-lid element 70 hingedly extends from the top of the rear element 50to seat in the top edge of the front element 40 and provide access tothe receptacle space 12. Back and side elements 80 and 90 extendupwardly from the tops of the rear element 50 and the end elements 60respectively in attached relation thereto, with the rear ends of theelements 90 attached to the side edges of the elements 80.

It will now be noted that a present utility box is arranged for itsfabrication solely by sewing together the various elements 40 and 50 and60 and 70 and 80 and 90, said elements having been individuallypre-formed before their assembly to provide unitary assembliesessentially comprising core plates of appropriate material enclosed insheaths of flexible material which provide the exterior surfaces of thefinished assemblies. The exposed faces of the material used in formingthe individual elements may be of various colors and finish, and provideor lack decorative designs; in this manner, different units may dilferin color and/or surface design as may suit the individual taste of theuser. The core members of the elements of the unit may comprise piecesof relatively stiff cardboard or the like, and the respective lid andback and side elements 70 and 80 and have suitable padding insertedbetween their cores and their top and front and inside sheath portionsrespectively to provide pin-cushion facilities while cooperativelycontributing to the unit design suggesting an upholstered sofa.

Noting that the nine elements of which a present utility box isfabricated are all of quadrilateral outline, either rectangular ortrapezoidal, the manner of providing the flexible sheaths for the coresmay be different depending on Whether the same material is used toprovide both faces of an element. In the present structure, the elements30 and 40 and 50 and 60 providing the receptacle portion 12 of theassembly are assumed to have both faces provided of the same materialwhereby the blanks for their sheaths 31 and 41 and 51 and 61respectively may each comprise a single piece of material intermediatelyfolded upon itself to provide a fold which engagedly receives one edgeof the corresponding core 32 or 42 or 52 or 62 within it. To providethis type of sheath, the blank therefor is folded upon itself with itsdisplay face innermost, and is stitched along edges thereof which extendfrom the fold to provide a pocket having its fourth side open. A pocketso formed is turned inside out and complementarily receives thecorresponding core slightly inwardly of the initially unsecured edgeportions of the blank, after which the latter edge portions are mutuallylapped and may be hand-sewed together to complete the element for use inproviding a present unit.

In the present structure, different materials are shown as used toprovide the different exterior sides of the sheaths 71 and 81 and 91 ofthe lid 70 and the back 80 and arms 90 of the structure. Accordingly,each of these sheaths comprises a pair of blanks of the differentmaterials which have been placed together with their display faces inmutual opposition and edge registration, and are stitched along-threeedges thereof to provide a pocket which is arranged to be turned insideout to complementarily receive the corresponding core 72 or 82 or 92,with the core edges adjacent the unattached blank edge portions spacedinwardly from said portions. After bodies of suitable padding 73 and 83and 93 have been inserted between the appropriate sheath side and thecore, said unattached edge portions are lapped and sewed together forcompleting the enclosure of the cores. For example, Figure 4 illustratesthe structure at the top of the back element 80 indicating an inturnedstitched seam of the two-piece sheath 81, and as typifying the relationat the inturned sheath seams of the other elements.

Having a unit-forming set of the various elements 30 and 40 and 50 and60 and 70 and 80 and 90 pre-formed as described, a present display boxunit is fabricated by progressively sewing the elements together in theorder and manner hereinafter described. The bottom of the back element80 and the inner edge of the lid 70 and the top edge of the rear bottomelement 50 are disposed generally as is shown in Figure 5, and theelements are drawn together thereat by stitching 21 applied along theelements solely through the sheath edges 81' and 71 and 51' respectivelyto provide a generally concealed connection of the elements showing ajuncture line at the rear faces of the angularly related back and baseelements, the stitching used in the present and other junctures ofelements generally comprising a spirally progressing continuousside-stitch with respect to the sheath portions engaged.

The arm elements 90 have the bottom edges 91 of their sheaths 91stitched to the top edges 61' of the end elements 61 by stitching 22(Figure 8), and the attached said elements then have the rear edges oftheir sheaths respectively stitched to the end edges of the sheaths ofthe rear elements 80 and 50 respectively by continuous lines ofstitching 23 (Figure 3). The front base element 40 is now attached tothe front ends of the base elements 60 by lines of stitching 24 engagingsolely through the abutting edge portions of their respective sheaths(Figure 3), and the difierent edges of the sheath 31 of the bottomelement 30 are united to the bottom edges of the sheaths 51 and 61 and41 of the elements 50 and 60 and 40 respectively by a continuous line ofstitching 25 (Figures 9 and 10) to complete the present utility boxassembly.

In view of the foregoing, it will be understood that a present unit iscompletely fabricated solely by stitching the sheaths of its differentelements together to provide a generally rigid structure of attractiveappearance. The present unitary arrangement is understood to provide anattractive utility box for receiving various articles of personal use inits receptacle 12, and for exteriorly mounting thereon articlescomprising, or having, pins by applying the pins in the padded sides ofthe lid or arm or back elements, and resting such and other articles onthe top of the lowered lid. If desired, the back and arm elements 89 and90 may be omitted for providing a box which is usable for the samepurposes as the present box.

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawings, the advantages of the present utility box will be readilyunderstood by those skilled in the art to which the inventionappertains. While I have described the principle of operation, togetherwith a form of my invention which I now consider to comprise a preferredembodiment thereof, I desire to have it understood that the showing isprimarily illustrative, and that such changes and developments may bemade, when desired, as fall within the scope of the following claim:

I claim:

In a utility box of the character described, individual quadrilateralbottom and side elements of similar structure cooperative to provide anopen-top receptacle and comprising separate core plates fully enclosedin individual one-piece sheaths of flexible fabric material and securedin cooperative relation solely by stitching together registering edgesof their sheaths, a lid element of similar structure to the firstelement hingedly attached to and along the top edge of solely one sideelement by stitching its sheath to the sheath of the latter, an elementof similar structure to the first elements extending upwardly from andalong the top edge of the lid-mounting element and being attachedthereto by stitching to its sheath, and other elements similar to thefirst extending upwardly from the tops of first elements which extendfrom the lid-mounting element and secured to the latter and the sideedges of the upright element solely by stitching engaging the sheaths ofthe elements at the registering edges thereof.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS795,146 Lorscheider July 18, 1905 1,180,180 Naylor Apr. 18, 19161,555,719 Scudero Sept. 29, 1925 2,266,678 Krasnov et al Dec. 16, 19412,458,834 Chateauneuf Jan. 11, 1949

